"Master Zhong, he's been gone so long. Do you think that young Daoist can pull it off?"
At the foot of Whistle Mountain, the Tang Household's workers sat on the wagons, still gazing anxiously into the distance.
As the old steward, Tang Zhong commanded considerable respect.
He, too, was watching, feeling as though he knew the outcome yet still clung to hope.
Shaking his head, he sighed. "Not likely. I reckon it's not looking good."
"Then do we keep waiting?" the worker asked again.
Tang Zhong thought for a moment, then said firmly, "We wait. We said half a day, so half a day it is. A man can't go back on his word."
"Oh."
Everyone went on chatting while Tang Zhong kept watching, hoping a figure would suddenly emerge along the path down the mountain.
Why did I listen to him in the first place?
Not only did he boast, he threw his life away for nothing.
Were those bandits ordinary people?
They were man-eating devils, monsters entrenched in the mountain!
Tang Zhong couldn't help grumbling inwardly. He really thought putting on Daoist robes made him Great Emperor Zhenwu, able to slay demons and vanquish evil.
And Master, too-why did he have to believe him?
"Ah."
He sighed again, sitting on the wagon shaft with his arms folded.
A little while later, the worker keeping watch at the foot of the mountain came running back in a hurry.
This was Whistle Mountain, with Listening Wind Stronghold right above them. How could they wait for someone here without posting a lookout?
Seeing the lookout sprinting toward them, everyone stopped what they were doing in unison and raised their heads to look at him.
Tang Zhong looked up and hastily said, "This is bad! The bandits are coming down! Turn the wagons around! Hurry, go!"
The other workers were scared half to death as well. They were leading the horses and pulling on the reins, about to leave, when they suddenly heard the worker running behind them shout, "They're down! They're coming down!"
Everyone looked at Tang Zhong. He froze for a moment, then said with certainty, "It's the bandits! Go!"
"How do you know?" the young driver asked curiously.
"Didn't you hear him? He said they're coming down. The young Daoist's just one person. Would he need to say 'they'?"
The young worker thought that made sense. No wonder he was Master Zhong-he really was clever.
He tugged the reins and flicked his whip.
"Hyah!"
The wagon started moving, slowly picking up speed.
Watching his own wagons pull away from him, the worker gradually stopped running and scratched his head, panting.
"What are they running for?"
A convoy of wagons, a party numbering well over fifty.
Tang Zhong held on to the wagon shaft, filled with regret.
Just then, a figure came racing after them from behind, stepping across branches with supreme lightness skill and soaring over their heads.
He flew all the way to the front wagon, descended from the sky, and reached out to stop the speeding wagon.
"Whoa!"
The worker hastily pulled on the reins, staring in disbelief at the person before him.
Blue-and-white Daoist robes, a handsome, dashing face.
He rubbed his eyes and checked again.
"Daoist, how is it you?"
"Why wouldn't it be me?" Zhang Qingyuan was puzzled, too. What's everyone running for?
His gaze found Tang Zhong at the very back. Tang Zhong hurriedly jumped off his wagon, his two legs churning remarkably fast for a man of his age.
He ran up to Zhang Qingyuan and looked him up and down repeatedly. "Daoist, you're not dead?"
This old man still had no idea how to speak properly. How did he become a steward?
When I left, he wished me a peaceful final journey. Now that I'm back, the first thing he asks is whether I'm dead.
What was wrong with him?
The words he had meant to say caught in his throat. Instead, he asked, "Wait, who told you I was dead?"
Tang Zhong was bewildered, too. He glanced back, then could only chuckle. "Good thing you're not dead. Good thing you're not dead.
"What about the bandits?"
"All dealt with."
Tang Zhong was even more astonished, while the others all showed looks of admiration.
Especially Tang Zhong, who thought, Could Great Emperor Zhenwu really have manifested his power?
Just as he was about to ask for details, the lookout behind them came running up as well.
Breathing hard, he braced himself against the wagon shaft and asked, "Master Zhong, what were you running for?"
Tang Zhong pointed at the worker and snapped, "Do you know how to speak properly?"
"What did I do?" the worker asked blankly.
"The Daoist had clearly come down the mountain already, so why did you give a false report and say the bandits were coming?"
"I never said the bandits were coming!" The worker was even more bewildered.
Tang Zhong demanded, "Then why the hell did you say they were coming down the mountain?"
Feeling terribly wronged, the worker pointed behind him. "It was them! There are three more people. They came down with the Daoist."
Behind him, three people were strolling along the road.
Between two men in black with swords at their hips walked a very flashy young gentleman.
Everyone else looked at Tang Zhong. They had all run because of what he had told them.
Their stares left Tang Zhong utterly embarrassed, and he seemed to fly into a rage out of humiliation. He kept laying into the worker. "Then why didn't you make yourself clear? You could've just said the Daoist was coming down! Why say 'they're coming down the mountain'? How was I supposed to know?"
The worker stared with wide, innocent eyes. "I..."
"You what?"
Tang Zhong glared at him.
Watching them, Zhang Qingyuan thought, They really didn't think I could come back.
He didn't hold it against them. It was human nature, after all.
"All right, turn the wagons around. Let's go haul the grain."
"Come on, let's head up the mountain and haul the grain!"
The Tang Household's workers drove the wagons uphill, and Zhu Zizhao walked over to him as well.
He had looked down on Zhang Qingyuan somewhat before, but after this battle, he felt that the young Daoist did have some ability. Even in a life-and-death struggle, he could think on his feet and devise ways to defeat an enemy that others would never have thought of.
Zhu Zizhao felt a little more admiration for him. Coming up to him, he smiled and said, "Brother, I underestimated you before."
Underestimate me all you like, but why say it so condescendingly, as though you're doing me an honor...
"All right, the bandits are dealt with. What are you planning to do next?"
Zhu Zizhao thought for a moment. "I'm planning to come along with you and have a look."
"With me?"
"Disaster relief is disaster relief, wherever you do it. My two wagons of grain are just a single hair from nine oxen compared with the countless disaster victims.
"Didn't that bullshit Dragon Lord, the one you skewered through the ass, just say it? Corruption is rampant among officials high and low in Kaifeng Prefecture, and the prefect himself is the biggest embezzler of all."
"So?"
The highest local official was corrupt. Who could deal with him except someone sent from the capital?
And any disaster-relief official sent from the capital would have to be a high-ranking official, and a truly incorruptible one at that.
Zhu Zizhao said, "I thought it over on the way down. The court's relief grain and funds haven't arrived yet, so Prefect Liu can only set his sights on these private grain merchants."
"Mm." Zhang Qingyuan nodded.
"If he dares rake in money this brazenly before anyone from the court arrives, do you think he'll be able to keep his hands off the relief grain and funds once they get here?"
Zhang Qingyuan nodded and replied, "He certainly won't. What, you want to..."
"Exactly. I want to gather evidence, then take it back to the capital and lodge a complaint before the emperor. Nothing short of killing a treacherous villain like him will quell the people's anger. We have to make these corrupt officials ride wooden donkeys and parade them through the streets!"
Shit, you're even more ruthless than I am!
Ride wooden donkeys?
Just thinking about it was thrilling.
"Well? Will you help me?"
"Why come to me?"
"We've fought side by side and faced life and death together, haven't we? As long as you help me, we'll be brothers from now on. Once we bring down Liu Xiangquan, we'll cut off a chicken's head, burn yellow paper, and formally swear brotherhood!"
Zhang Qingyuan looked at the young gentleman and considered the plan's feasibility.
He was a relative of the imperial family, and he had two such skilled guards at his side. His status presumably wasn't low.
In this era, for an ordinary person to bring charges against an official was as hard as ascending to heaven.
The imperial court didn't distinguish right from wrong. There were politics, power games, and factional struggles.
So bringing down the prefect required sufficient evidence and, more importantly, someone who could deliver that evidence to the emperor!
At that thought, Zhang Qingyuan scrutinized Zhu Zizhao once more.
"Your family-are they princes or court officials?"
If his status wasn't high enough, hot blood alone wouldn't get this done.
So Zhang Qingyuan had to make sure he had enough clout to accomplish it.
Zhu Zizhao was hot-blooded and brimming with righteousness. All he lacked now was help.
So, having met a friend whose temperament suited his so well, he naturally wanted to bring him to his side.
Zhu Zizhao said, "Don't worry. My family is definitely among the greatest under heaven!"
Zhang Qingyuan drew a deep breath. "Born between heaven and earth, a man ought to secure a livelihood for the people. Let's fucking do it!"